Where To Find Great Laptop Deals Online and Off

Looking for laptop deals for your new computer?  Laptops are usually more expensive than desktop systems, but as with desktops, price will depend on the features you need.  Despite the perception that laptops are expensive, there are still great laptop deals if you know where to look.

Most important, and before starting to shop, decide exactly what features you need in a laptop.  Are you using it for business?  Or will you be using it for gaming?  Is it going to be primarily used for surfing the Net?  Or is this a workhorse replacement for a desktop computer?  Deciding what features are most important to you will help you stay focused on what you're getting for the price and where you can cut costs.  

Usually it's a good idea to purchase the fastest processor, the largest hard drive, and the most amount of memory that you can afford right up front.   These components are most likely to need upgrading in the short term, as new operating systems and software applications come out that take ever more speed, memory and disk space.

Screen size is also a major pricing factor on laptops.  There is a huge selection of quality LCD screens available.  Whether you can work with a 12 inch screen, or need a wide 17 inch screen will determine much of the price of your laptop.  Even though a high-quality screen can increase the overall price of your laptop system, though, you can still find laptop deals that have high quality screens.  Remember though that wide screen systems add weight to your laptop, which might be a consideration if you plan to travel with it.

The best laptop deals can be found during certain seasons of the year.  For example, laptops go on sale in late summer, right before school starts and students are taking them back to high school or college with them in September.  The next best time of the year to look for a laptop deals is just before Christmas, as laptops make popular Christmas gifts.  

While prices can be very good during these two times of the year, there are sales all year long that you can take advantage of.  Watch online stores and sign up for email alerts with a few so you get notices when sales are happening.  Read off-line print advertising too, where many office supply and computer stores advertise their latest deal.  Whatever time of year you shop, expect to take a few weeks to get a feel for what's available on the market and match that against your list of needs.

You can find laptop deals both online and off.  The superstores for office supplies and computer supplies recognize that they are competing with good deals on the Internet, and they have priced their systems accordingly.  Even though offline stores try to compete, though, the best laptop deals are still online.  On the Web there are many more places to find good deals.  You can go to auction sites such as eBay, resellers of new, used or refurbished equipment, major computer dealers only found online such as TigerDirect, plus all of the major manufacturers such as Dell, Gateway and HP.  

Online you can also find open box, used or refurbished systems which can save you 30-50% off a regular new system.  You also have the option to build a laptop to your own personal specs from scratch.  Finally, there are "no name" brands that you can purchase, which sell for less than "name brands" but incorporate the same quality components from Intel, Sony, and other component manufacturers.  

When buying online, you should verify the reputation and reliability of the computer dealer you're working with.  To protect yourself when buying from an online dealer, use a few basic precautions.  Look for a well known, well established company. Try to deal with a company located in the U.S., use a credit card or PayPal so you have product protection against fraud, pay for shipping insurance if it's not already included, and look for a generous return policy.  You may want to purchase a warranty to protect from any sort of defect or damage that you may incur in the first year of ownership.

To find the best laptop deals, decide in advance exactly what you need, what your priorities are for your system, and then give yourself the time to shop around for the right price.  Follow these basics, and you'll find plenty of great laptop deals online or off.